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The mumps outbreak at Ohio State University has increased from 11 students to 13, officials said
today.

Cases have been confirmed in seven females and six males, 18 to 22 years old, said Dr. Mary Lynn
Kiacz, OSU student-life medical director. None has been hospitalized.

Columbus Public Health officials have spoken to about 10 of the patients, most of whom had
reported being immunized, said Dr. Mysheika Williams Roberts, medical director and assistant health
commissioner.

“Some are in town, some are at home, some are traveling,” Roberts said.

Columbus Public Health is urging the students with mumps to remain in voluntary isolation.
However, spring break has started.

A 14th patient not connected to the OSU outbreak was released from Ohio State University’s
Wexner Medical Center today, Roberts said.

The onset of symptoms for the students’ cases ranged from Feb. 12 to March 5.

Officials worry there will be more cases. Some students might not know they are infected.

“They’re very contagious. If they got on a plane or bus, they could spread this to others,”
Roberts said. “Would I rather keep them on campus and have them get sick here?” Kiacz said. “There’s
no best scenario when there’s an illness like this.”

Physicians across the state are calling Columbus health officials with questions.

“They’re asking ‘What should we do? We have a student who we think might have mumps. How do we
treat it?’” Roberts said.

OSU officials have urged students to get vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella and to
practice good hygiene in case they are infected but have no symptoms, which include fever,
headache, lethargy, loss of appetite and swollen salivary glands.

Columbus typically reports one or two cases a year, Roberts said.

“It is a big campus but confined to a small space in the city. Whenever you have a highly
infectious disease on a campus, you expect it to spread,” she said.

Two weeks ago, Fordham University in New York reported an outbreak with 13 cases.

Mumps used to be common but now is rare because of the MMR vaccine. Most U.S. residents have
been vaccinated. Only 454 cases were reported nationwide in 2008, according to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.

It’s typically a mild disease in children, but can be more serious with complications in adults.
The greatest risk of mumps to adults typically is severe pneumonia. Inflammation of the ovaries and
testicles can occur, but sterility is unusual, Cunningham said.